Freedom Songs: Wade in the Water and Follow the Drinking Gourd
Objective: for the students to be able to: 1. anylisis the two songs 2. to explain how it helped slaves that were running away
Answer to objective1.
Follow the Drinking Gourd
VERSE 1
When the sun goes down
Vs. "Sun comes back" in the original, which indicates time of year.
And the first quail call
In the original, refers to the breeding season. With the word change in line one, this lyric cannot have the same meaning.
Follow the drinkin' gourd
The "drinking gourd" alludes to the hollowed out gourd used by slaves (and other rural Americans) as a water dipper. Used here it is a code name for the Big Dipper star formation, which points to Polaris, the Pole Star, and North.
Then it's time, children
to come one and all and
Follow the drinkin' gourd
CHORUS
Follow the drinkin' gourd,
Follow the drinkin' gourd
There's a roadsign in heaven
On that muddy path to freedom
Follow the drinkin' gourd
VERSE 2
Pegfoot gonna show you the way
According to Parks, the one-legged Peg Leg Joe was an Underground Railroad operative who marked trees and other landmarks "with charcoal or mud of the outline of a human left foot and a round spot in place of the right foot."
Follow the drinkin' gourd
Keep on movin' the Old Man say
"Ole man" is nautical slang for "Captain" (or "Commanding Officer.") According to Parks, the Underground Railroad operative Peg Leg Joe was formerly a sailor.
Follow the drinkin' gourd
CHORUS
VERSE 3
Think I hear the angels say
Follow the drinkin' gourd
Stars in the heaven gonna show you the way
Follow the drinkin' gourd.
CHORUS
Wade in the Water
actual song interpretation Wade in the water (children)walk in the water Wade in the water Wade in the water God's gonna trouble the watergod will make the water stronger so that the hounds will not be able to pick up the sents of the slaves
If you don't believe I've been redeemed God's gonna trouble the water I want you to follow him on down to Jordan streamwalk in a river or stream of some sort (I said) My God's gonna trouble the water You know chilly water is dark and coldthe water is freezing and they travel during night (I know my) God's gonna trouble the water You know it chills my body but not my soulI will persevere to the end no matter what (I said my) God's gonna trouble the water
Answer to objective 2:
Wade in the Water:
it told the slaves to go into the water so that their scents would be masked, so that the hounds that were hunting them down would have a harder time to sniff them down.
Follow the Drinking Gourd:
this is a picture of a african american family using follow the drinking gourd to help them runaway
The song gave specific directions on how to escape to the south.
Freedom Songs: Wade in the Water and Follow the Drinking Gourd
Objective: for the students to be able to: 1. anylisis the two songs 2. to explain how it helped slaves that were running away
Answer to objective1.
Follow the Drinking Gourd
Wade in the Water
actual song interpretation
Wade in the water (children) walk in the water
Wade in the water
Wade in the water
God's gonna trouble the water god will make the water stronger so that the hounds will not be able to pick up the sents of the slaves
If you don't believe I've been redeemed
God's gonna trouble the water
I want you to follow him on down to Jordan stream walk in a river or stream of some sort
(I said) My God's gonna trouble the water
You know chilly water is dark and cold the water is freezing and they travel during night
(I know my) God's gonna trouble the water
You know it chills my body but not my soul I will persevere to the end no matter what
(I said my) God's gonna trouble the water
Answer to objective 2:
Wade in the Water:
Follow the Drinking Gourd:
If you are confused please visit this site
the citation for my picture.